Chapter 41 Inducement
Terrence caught her wandering hand with precision, his palm closing over hers with a grip that carried more weight than usual. His voice was low and rough, a warning edged in heat. "Stop."
Bianca didn't retreat. Instead, she tilted her head up, her warm breath brushing against the line of his throat. Her tone was playful, edged with mischief. "I just wanted to give you a massage."
Terrence's eyes darkened. In one swift motion, he lowered his head and claimed her smiling lips, silencing every unspoken word in a kiss that was both a punishment and a lingering entanglement.
"Massage?" His forehead rested against hers, his breath hot, his voice a husky drawl that could unravel anyone's composure. "Sounds like my wife still has plenty of energy."
Bianca surrendered instantly. "Uh… I'll go take a shower."
Before he could reply, she darted away. Terrence's mouth curved faintly.
The next day.
Bianca was at her desk on time.
"Ms. Rodriguez, perfect timing." Lon Ramos approached with a file in hand, his smile polite but edged with something far less genuine. "This urgent document needs to be delivered immediately to Mr. Warner at Vanguard Technologies Ltd. He's waiting for it. We're short-staffed, so I'll have to trouble you to make the trip."
Bianca looked up, her gaze sweeping calmly over Lon's face, reading the deliberate intent behind his so-called request.
Vanguard Technologies Ltd. was located on the far side of the city from the Rodriguez Group's headquarters.
She smiled inwardly, though her face betrayed nothing. She reached out and took the file. "Of course, Mr. Ramos."
Convenient. She hadn't planned to stay here long anyway. Delivering a file and heading to her appointment saved her the trouble of enduring more of their false courtesy.
After handing off the document, Bianca checked the time. She still had a while before meeting Jessica, so she went to The Garden Restaurant.
The restaurant was serene, surrounded by lush greenery. The soft notes of a piano drifted through the air.
A waiter led her respectfully toward the reserved private room.
But as she passed a corridor adorned with a trickle of water running alongside it, a figure suddenly rose from a half-open booth and stepped into her path.
Samuel.
His eyes locked on hers with unyielding intensity.
"Bianca." He moved forward quickly, reaching for her hand. "We need to talk."
Bianca stepped back, avoiding his touch. Her gaze was cold as ice. "Samuel, I thought I made myself clear. There's nothing left to talk about."
She turned slightly toward the waiter, offering a polite nod. "Go ahead. I have a personal matter to handle."
The waiter understood and withdrew.
"I don't believe you," Samuel said, his voice raspy.
He studied her, noting the sharpness in her expression. She was nothing like the woman who had once followed him blindly, her eyes full of devotion.
"Tell me, Bianca, what happened? How did you become like this?"
He searched her face for any trace of coercion, any flicker of old affection. All he found was open disdain.
"Like what?" Bianca's lips curved faintly. "Like someone who's no longer blind? Or someone who's stopped falling for your lies? Samuel, spare me your self-styled deep feelings. They make me sick."
"Sick?" The word hit him like a slap. His voice rose, drawing curious glances from his booth's occupants. Realizing his outburst, he forced his tone down. "Bianca, after all our years together, you call it sick? Who was it that followed me against all odds? Who said she'd marry no one but me? Was all of that a lie?"
He was trying to weaponize their shared past.
Bianca almost laughed. In her previous life, she had been blinded by such sweet talk, and it had destroyed them both.
Her mind flashed to the image of Samuel entangled with Blair. The disgust surged, threatening to break her composure, but she forced it down.
She wanted to see exactly what game he was playing.
Her head tilted slightly, her voice dropping just enough to carry a hint of weariness. "What's the point of bringing up the past? Samuel, some things are beyond our control."
The subtle shift in her tone lit up Samuel's eyes. He was elated. She still had feelings for him. She had to be under Terrence's thumb. She belonged to him, Samuel.
He stepped closer, guiding her subtly toward the corner of the corridor, his voice thick with false tenderness. "I knew it. You're not here by choice. Don't be afraid. I can help you get away from him."
Bianca's gaze flickered, her tone laced with challenge. "Help me? And how exactly would you do that? You know better than I do what kind of man Terrence is. Going against him head-on is suicide."
Her words dripped with mockery, cutting at his pride.
Samuel flushed, stung by her contempt. "Of course not head-on. But we can leave before he even realizes. Listen to me… the Anderson Group is bidding on that plot of land in the east of the city. It's Terrence's top priority for the next half year. If you can get me the reserve price and the core proposal from his study…"
He paused, watching her face. Seeing no immediate rejection, he pressed on, painting his fantasy. "With that, I can hit him hard during the bidding. My company will recover, and we'll have the means to disappear."
His voice warmed as he spun the dream. "We'll go somewhere Terrence can't find us. You love islands, right? We'll live on one, just the two of us. No more bowing to anyone."
Samuel was lost in his own vision.
He didn't notice the flicker of cold calculation in Bianca's eyes.
Nearby.
Terrence sat in another booth, sunglasses masking his gaze. His expression was unreadable, but the air around him was heavy. His long fingers toyed with a jade ring, the knuckles whitening from the pressure.
He had come here for a meeting. It had just ended, and stepping out, he had stumbled upon this little performance.
Bianca kept her anger in check.
She let her face show just enough struggle, her voice trembling. "Do you even understand the consequences? If Terrence finds out…"
"He won't!" Samuel cut in, eager. He thought she was wavering.
"As long as you're careful, he'll never know. Bianca, this is the only way to save us, to give you freedom. Do you really want to spend your life chained to that blind man? He can't give you happiness."
Bianca stayed silent for a long thirty seconds.
Samuel's heart raced. He could see victory. His smile was already forming.
Then Bianca lifted her hand and waved to a nearby waiter.
Samuel blinked, confused.
The waiter came over immediately.
"Could I have a glass of ice water, please?" Bianca's tone was calm.
The waiter returned quickly with the drink.
Bianca took the glass. Before Samuel could process what was happening, her wrist snapped forward.
The entire glass of icy water splashed across his face.
His carefully styled hair collapsed, water dripping down in rivulets. He looked like a drowned cat.
Samuel froze, stunned. He stared at her, mouth open, no words coming.
Bianca's expression lost every trace of struggle.
She set the empty glass back onto the waiter's tray, pulled a napkin from the table, and wiped her hands with deliberate care.
"Let me get this straight," she said, her voice cool and sharp. "You want me to betray Terrence? Steal from him? And then run away with you… a useless man?"